By JOHN WAWROW

Associated Press

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The chance to rub shoulders with quarterback Josh Allen and use their Toronto connections to broaden the Buffalo Bills’ reach into Canada’s largest city wasn’t the only thing on the minds of former NBA stars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady and soccer’s Jozy Altidore in purchasing a minority share of the franchise.

More importantly, the trio of successful Black athletes view their crossover sport endeavor as an opportunity to increase diversity at the NFL ownership level.

“It’s cool to be investing in an NFL franchise, but this is inspiring to so many people that look like us,” McGrady said during a Zoom call featuring all three on Friday.

“This is a barometer for us to do our jobs and be a stand-in for the next phase of ownership, whether it’s minority, whether it’s majority, whether it’s an individual,” he added. “It’s up to us to really carry this the right way and setting an example for the next people coming along.”

Carter went so far as to mention the impact sisters Venus Williams and Serena Williams made on Black people in tennis.

“Diversity and inclusion is something that organizations and businesses are trying to accomplish,” Carter said. “It’s not just young Black kids and Black girls or whatever, it’s for all kids. It’s possible if you do it the right way.”

Carter and McGrady are cousins who were Toronto Raptors teammates and both inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The two also starred for the Magic.

The 35-year-old Altidore is regarded among the top American soccer players of his generation and was the MLS Cup MVP in helping Toronto FC win its title in 2017.

They’re among 10 limited partners who were approved by the NFL earlier this month to purchase a noncontrolling minority share of the Bills, with team owners Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula maintaining about 79% of the team. The trio of athlete’s stake represents about a combined 4%.

The NFL’s loosening of rules allowing franchises to add limited partners has brought an increasing number of minorities to the owner’ table. The Williams sisters own shares in the Miami Dolphins while Magic Johnson recently purchased a stake in the Washington Commanders.

Jacksonville’s Shad Khan, who is of Pakistani descent, was the NFL’s first minority owner, followed by Kim Pegula, who is from South Korea.

“You’re talking about a kid that’s come from challenging upbringings, right?” McGrady said, reflecting on the difficulties he faced growing up in central Florida and the opportunities sports brought.

“So to be in in this position, I’m so proud of what I had to overcome and being able to do that, to set an example for a lot of kids that look like me,” he added. “And I’m sure Jozy and Vince could tell that same story. But this is pretty freaking cool at the end of the day.”

The idea of purchasing a share of the Bills was first prompted by McGrady, which led to Carter attending NFL owners meetings in March, when he met with Terry Pegula. The three then joined forces and went through a vetting process, which included attending the Bills game against Jacksonville in September.

Being a part owner of the Bills is a dream come true especially for Altidore, who became a fan of the team while playing in Toronto from 2015-21. He recalled how thousands of Torontonians would make the cross-border trip to Buffalo even when the Bills were struggling amid a 17-year playoff drought that ended in 2017.

“I generally got to watch that team grow through good and bad and watch their popularity grow,” Altidore said. “To now marry the two, I mean, yeah, I couldn’t be happier.”

The Bills are already popular across southern Ontario, where they draw more than 15% of their season ticket base. The three new minority owners believe they can grow the franchise’s profile across the region further, especially at a time when the Bills are preparing to open a new stadium for the start of the 2026 season.

McGrady laughed when recalling how he and Carter helped introduce the NBA to Toronto some 25 years ago.

“That was a challenge. I mean, we had 15,000-16,000 in there and you do something spectacular and it’s quiet. They didn’t know what the hell just happened,” McGrady said. “We did a great job of igniting that fan base. Now it’s time to do it on the other side, but with a different sport.”

Carter remembered when Bills hall of famers Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith would sit courtside at Raptors games.

“I’m hoping we can create new fans for the Bills not only because of what we’ve accomplished, but to open their eyes to the Bills and see what they’re doing,” Carter said of the five-time defending AFC East champions. “What better time to become a Bills fan than right now?”

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/21/carter-mcgrady-and-altidores-new-stake-in-buffalo-bills-brings-diversity-to-nfl-owners-table/

By WILL GRAVES

Associated Press

DaQuan Jones remembers the chaos. The uncertainty. The sanctions. The aftermath.

How could he not? He and the rest of his Penn State teammates — those that stuck around anyway — lived through it.

Jones was a sophomore defensive lineman in the fall of 2011 when the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal brought one of college football’s bluebloods to its knees and sent revered coach Joe Paterno into exile.

It felt like a tipping point.

“The program could have done a whole tanking and kind of completely went under,” said Jones.

Only it didn’t. While some transferred out in search of a fresh start, Jones was among those who stuck around. Bill O’Brien took on the impossible task of replacing an icon. Walk-ons filled the void left by the scholarship reductions levied by the NCAA as part of the fallout that shook the state’s flagship institution to its foundation.

Things were very fragile. Yet in those uncertain times, the Nittany Lions began the methodical process of building themselves anew, well aware of what was at stake.

The memories remain fresh for Jones, now an 11-year NFL veteran in his third season as a starter for the Buffalo Bills. He’s kept close tabs on his alma mater since graduating in 2014 and can draw a direct line from the rubble the program sifted through in the wake of Sandusky to the opportunity that awaits Penn State on Saturday when the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (11-2) host 11th-seeded SMU (11-2) in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.

“I think it all just starts with that firm foundation of the guys that stayed there in 2012,” he said. “I’m just so happy to see the program do so well.”

Penn State’s first invitation to the playoff will serve as another referendum on current coach James Franklin for a portion of a passionate fan base tired of of the program being on the fringe of the national championship conversation. For the former players now scattered across the NFL and the world, it will be a celebration.

“The dark shadow of Penn State, it’s good to finally be out of that,” said Connor McGovern, an offensive lineman on the 2016 team that won the Big Ten title and “started to turn the narrative around.”

Sandusky is far from forgotten;  he was resentenced just five years ago, still professing his innocence.

The university has painstakingly worked to restore the program’s reputation as a place where the players are competitive on the field and graduate off it, knowing any misstep will be magnified.

It’s why the men who have pulled the classic blue-and-white jerseys over their shoulder pads have a deep appreciation for what it took to get to this moment and how far-fetched it may have once seemed.

“Coach O’Brien helped sustain that program,” said Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions. “It was a tough job to be able to keep guys and keep things at a respectable level. And coach Franklin was able to build it and I’m just appreciative of being a part of that family.”

Penn State won’t be the only team that runs onto the field at Beaver Stadium carrying the weight of history.

SMU was a national power in the early 1980s — the Mustangs went 11-0-1 in 1982 only to finish No. 2 behind undefeated Penn State — before a pay-for-play scheme led the NCAA to give the program the death penalty.

While the Nittany Lions stayed competitive as it rebuilt itself, SMU went a quarter century between bowl games and more than 30 years between appearances in the AP Top 25. This season SMU became the first former Group of Five team to go undefeated in its league’s regular season in its first year in a major conference as it stormed to the ACC title game.

This blush of success can feel fresh. It was born, however, out of what third-year coach Rhett Lashlee described as “a couple of decades of hard work” done by predecessors like June Jones and Sonny Dykes.

“It’s like a pickle-jar effect,” Lashlee said. “They all were trying to get the lid off, and they never got it off. But by the time we got here, we were able to pop the lid off because a lot of work had been done by so many before.”

It’s much the same now at Penn State. Had the CFP gone to 12 teams from its inception in 2014, the Nittany Lions might have been a fixture. No school has finished in the top 12 in the final CFP rankings more without actually making the playoff than Penn State.

And yes, those who were parts of the near misses can’t help but think of what might have been.

“We would have made it pretty much every year, which would have been cool to experience,” said Sean Clifford, a four-year starter at quarterback from 2019-22 whose younger brother Liam is a junior wide receiver on this year’s team.

The older Clifford, now a member of the Green Bay Packers practice squad, added that he has no grudges, laughingly pointing out, “There’s a lot of things that have changed in the NCAA that I would have liked.”

One of the things that hasn’t changed in State College is the way Franklin goes about doing his job. More than a half-dozen former Nittany Lions now in the NFL interviewed by The Associated Press pointed to his leadership as one of the reasons why Penn State has pulled itself back from the brink.

“He cares about us deeply,” said punter Jordan Stout, now with the Baltimore Ravens. “He knows your mom. He knows your dad. He knows your brother, sister, cousin, third cousin.”

Miami Dolphins rookie linebacker Chop Robinson credited Franklin for treating his players like men “if you approached everything like a man. … That’s what I loved about him.”

Robinson and others hear the criticism of Franklin, who is 1-14 against top 10 teams in his 11-year tenure.

“If they don’t make it far, then I think everyone’s just going to be like, ‘Fire Franklin; fire Franklin,’” Stout said. “Obviously that’s not the right call in my opinion.”

There will be more than a fair amount of pressure on the 52-year-old Franklin on Saturday. Then again, he’s accustomed to the weight. The problems he faces now are the kind he could only dream about on Jan. 11, 2014, when he pledged at his introductory press conference to “build this program [to] where everybody wants it to be.”

Now that it’s almost there, Jones wonders if maybe it’s time to not focus on the increasingly narrow gap between the Nittany Lions and the top but the canyon it has no nimbly navigated to get here.

Yes, he is well-versed in the seemingly annual tough losses to the Ohio States of the world. Yet he also remembers the performance of those sanction-laden teams littered with walk-ons when the wounds wrought by Sandusky’s downfall were still so fresh.

Those teams hung in there and walked so the current Nittany Lions could run. If and when Penn State finds itself playing deep into January, Jones knows the first steps weren’t taken this fall, but long before.

“That’s a testament to what Penn State really means,” Jones said. “Hard-working people [who] got to work every day, put [their] head down, don’t look for glory and go out there and just collect the wins.”

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/21/penn-state-and-smu-carry-the-weight-of-history-into-their-cfp-debuts-theyre-both-trying-to-shed-it/

By MICHAEL MAROT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jeremiyah Love tied the Notre Dame record with a 98-yard touchdown run, Riley Leonard added two more scores and the Fighting Irish shut down the highest-scoring team in the College Football Playoff, overwhelming Indiana 27-17 on Friday night.

The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish (12-1) won their 11th straight — and their first playoff victory. They’ll face second-seeded Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman got the biggest win of his three-year career by extending his Irish record to 12 victories over ranked teams in three seasons.

Tenth-seeded Indiana (11-2) completed a magical season by finishing with its second fewest points this season on a cold, brisk night in the first CFP game ever played on a campus site. Both of the Hoosiers’ losses came to top-five opponents. Indiana set a single-season school record for wins but still hasn’t won at Notre Dame since 1898.

Notre Dame took control on its third offensive play when Love scooted around the right side of Indiana’s defense, eluded one tackle and sprinted down the sideline to make it 7-0. He matched Josh Adams’ longest run in school history, set in 2015 against Wake Forest. It was also the longest run in CFP history.

Love finished with eight carries for 108 yards despite appearing to reinjure his left knee later in the first half.

Indiana never recovered after Notre Dame made it 14-0 early in the second quarter.

Leonard’s 1-yard TD run late in the fourth gave him 15 this season to break Notre Dame’s season record by a quarterback.

Indiana scored both of its touchdowns in the final 1:27.

Notre Dame made it 14-0 on Leonard’s 5-yard TD pass to Jayden Thomas early in the second quarter. The Irish settled for three more field goals, and the defense took care of the rest — allowing just one field goal.

Leonard was 23 of 32 with 201 yards and one interception. Notre Dame receiver Jordan Faison caught seven passes for 89 yards.

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke turned in another poor game against a top defense, finishing 20 of 33 with 215 yards, with two TDs and one interception and the Hoosiers rushed for just 63 yards.

Takeaways

Indiana: The Hoosiers trailed fewer minutes than any other FBS team this season entering the playoffs and had the highest-scoring team in the playoffs. They didn’t do either Friday night against a stout Irish defense that rattled Rourke early.

Notre Dame: The Irish have relied on the running game and defense all season — and it was that combination that gave Notre Dame the first playoff win in school history. They may need more out of their passing game to win their first national championship since 1988.

Up next

Indiana: Will spend a busy offseason trying to replicate what they built in Year 1 under coach Curt Cignetti.

Notre Dame: Plays Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/20/notre-dame-protects-home-field-in-new-postseason-era-with-1st-playoff-win-27-17-over-indiana/

Scores and statistics from Friday high school sports events:

Boys Basketball

GUS GIBBS MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

At DeLand High School

Thursday’s results:

Master’s Academy 64, Atlantic 50

Leesburg 52, McKeel Academy 45

Oakleaf 51, Vero Beach 50

DeLand 57, Tavares 37

Friday’s results:

Atlantic 54, Leesburg 53

Vero Beach vs. Tavares, 5:30

Master’s Academy 91, McKeel Academy 51

Buzz: Hunter Nickerson had 19 points for the Eagles (8-3) while Noah Rogers had 17 points, and Josh Pitts added 16 points.

DeLand 70, Oakleaf 67

Saturday’s games:

7th-place game, 10 a.m.

3rd-place game, 11:30

5th-place game, 1

Championship, 2:30

CITY OF PALMS CLASSIC

At Florida Southwestern State College, Fort Myers

Thursday results: 

Gibbs (Calif.) 76, Mater Dei 45

St. Joseph (Cal.) 69, Edgewater 43

Oak Ridge 103, Bishop McNamara (Md.) 61

IMG Academy 81, Faith Family Academy (Tx.) 78

Miami Columbus 90, Great Crossing (Ky.) 39

Montverde Academy 68, Millennium (Ariz.) 63

Friday’s results:

Faith Family Academy (Tx.) 73, Bishop McNamara (Md.) 63

Westminster Academy 81, Great Crossing (Ky.) 72

Bullis School (Wash. DC) 59, Dream City Christian (Ariz.) 57

Dynamic Prep (Tx.) 78, DME Academy 67

Oak Ridge 73, Owasso (Okla.) 50

Buzz: The Pioneers (7-0) advanced to the semifinals with Jamier Jones scoring 23 with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Jalen Reece and Ce’zanne Mosley each had 18 points, with Mosley adding 9 rebounds. Oak Ridge will face Montverde in one of the semifinals at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Columbus 85, Grayson (Ga.) 48

Other scores/results:

Hope Academy 61, Eustis 60

St. Cloud 70, Woodward (Ohio) 30

Buzz: Julian Fox had 13 points for the Bulldogs (12-0) in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational.

International Community 56, Trinity Prep 47

Buzz: Slade Woodruff had 17 points for the Comets (7-5) in the win while Jace Grover and Paxton Boaz had 15 points each, and Jamarie Lyce added 12 rebounds.

City of Life Christian 53, Legacy Charter 48

Tohopekaliga 55, Satellite 45

Life Christian Academy 64, Winter Springs 54

Lake Brantley 56, Lake Mary 53

Buzz: Adam Ndaiye and Dean Adkins each had 13 points for the Patriots (8-4) in the win while Julian Vargas added 12 points. Jaiden Aristile had 15 points for the Rams (6-5) in the loss.

Harmony 69, Melbourne 50

Buzz: Sylus Cory had 16 points for the Longhorns (7-4) in the win while Jeremy Penner added 15 points.

Apopka 62, South Lake 58

Colonial 79, DME Academy 65

Dr. Phillips 75, Horizon 57

Buzz: London Hatch had 26 points and 9 rebounds for the Panthers (6-5) in the win while Jeremiah Fort had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Caleb Smith added 16 points and 9 rebounds.

Windermere Prep 83, Foundation Academy 64

Lake Highland Prep 58, Ponte Vedra 52

Port St. Joe 83, Cornerstone Charter 53

Geneva School 53, Merritt Island Christian 46

Girls Basketball

KSA PRE-HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT

At Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee

Thursday’s results:

Timber Creek 51, Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) 37

Milken Community (Calif.) 50, Preston (W.V.) 39

Friday’s results:

Timber Creek 66, Preston (W.V.) 32

Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) 55, Milken Community (Calif.) 37

Saturday’s games:

Timber Creek vs. Milken Community (Calif.), 12:30

Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) vs. Preston (W.Va.), 12:30

Other scores/results:

McLean (Va.) 39, Altamonte Christian 23

City of Life Christian 38, Legacy Charter 17

Buzz: Abigail Squires had 18 points, 9 steals and 5 rebounds for the Warriors (6-4) in the win while Joelle King added 11 rebounds and 6 blocked shots.

Cooper Hills (Utah) 62, Winter Springs 21

Destin 31, Cornerstone Charter 28

Lake Highland Prep 61, Galloway (Ga.) 58

DeLand 60, Rockledge 21

Hampton (Tenn.) 46, Winter Park 32

The First Academy 66, Edgewood 15

Lake Howell 78, Osceola 17

Pine Ridge 54, Calvary Christian 37

Sacred Heart 44, Dr. Phillips 37

St. Cloud 49, Merritt Island Christian 34

Boys Soccer

Oviedo 2, Merritt Island 0

Buzz: Ellison Ruffin had a goal and an assist for the Lions (9-2-1) while Matias Rodriguez had the other goal, and Madrick Muina earned the shutout at keeper.

Leesburg 5, Citrus 0

Buzz: Beckham Gahret had 2 goals for the Yellow Jackets (9-1-1) while Troy Martinez added a goal and an assist. Theordore Kanczurzewski had 5 saves at keeper to earn the shutout.

Bishop Moore 7, Mulberry 0

Buzz: Mariano Hudtwalcker and Marco Acevedo each had 2 goals for the Hornets (11-2-2) while Sebastian Chica, John Gardner and David Rodriguez had the other goals.

Other scores:

Lake Nona 8, Lake Howell 0

Orlando Science 2, Master’s Academy 1

Orange City University 1, Spruce Hawk 1

Girls Soccer

Bishop Moore 3, St. John’s Country Day 1

Buzz: Avery Jacobs had a goal and an assist for the Hornets (7-4-1) while Leighton McGratty and Piersen Rawlin had the other goals.

Other scores:

East River 4, Colonial 0

Boys Wrestling

KNOCKOUT CHRISTMAS CLASSIC

At Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee

Team standings after Day 1 (top 3 & locals):

1. Camden County 96.5

2. Tuttle 91

3. Zephyrhills Christian 87.5

10. Hagerty 62

11. Winter Springs 61.5

29. Freedom 42

48. Osceola 24

58. Lake Brantley 6.5

Individual bracket (local undefeated wrestlers):

150 – Nikolas Blake (Hagerty)

175 – Jeremiah Williams (Winter Springs)

215 – Marco Gonzalez (Winter Springs)

285 – Franklie Marquez (Winter Springs)

Individual bracket (local wrestlers going 2-1):

106 – Chase Wolgamuth (Hagerty)

126 – Hunter Jessee (Hagerty)

132 – Isfandier Sharipov (Osceola); Dario Duany (Lake Brantley)

144 – Ben Wolgamuth (Hagerty); Kingsley Mincer (Freedom)

150 – Nathaniel Cabrera (Osceola)

BILL SCOTT MEMORIAL

At Lyman High School

Team standings (top 3 & locals):

1. Timber Creek 149.5

2. Mexico 127.5

3. Palmerton Area 110.5

4. Lyman 105.5

8. Colonial 92.5

9. DeLand 88

10. Bishop Moore 79.5

11. Apopka 78

11. Mount Dora 78

13. Wekiva 70.5

14. Windermere 68.5

16. Olympia 65

18. Lake Brantley 56.5

19. West Orange 54

20. Orange City University 48

23. Horizon 42

24. Winter Park 40

25. First Academy-Leesburg 30

26. Deltona 27.5

27. The First Academy 13

28. Seminole 11.5

Individual bracket (local wrestlers going 3-0):

106 – Javonni Carraturo (Deltona); Damian Quinonez (Mount Dora)

113 – Mohammad Davtalabsabe (Timber Creek); Conner Williams (Bishop Moore); Jamie Taylor (Lyman)

120 – Tiago Neves (Timber Creek); Joseph Romano (Bishop Moore); Egehan Yilhan (Windermere)

126 – Diego Weiser (Timber Creek); Ashtin Diggs (Timber Creek)

132 – David Birdsey (DeLand)

138 – Sam Aponte (Mount Dora); Raphael Taquechel (Windermere)

144 – Peyton Senez (DeLand); Ozy Aquino (Timber Creek)

150 – Angel Prieto (Bishop Moore); Cameron Popeck (Lyman)

157 – Juan Viera (Timber Creek)

165 – Angel Ortiz-Corral (Lyman)

175 – Colton Fickett (Mount Dora)

190 – William Muniz (Timber Creek)

215 – Brandon Roberts (Apopka); Elijah Jean (Wekiva)

285 – Fuad Maali (Olympia)

FALCON CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT

At East River High School

Team standings:

1. Sebastian River 231.5

2. Boone 142

3. East River 125

4. Freedom 93

5. Ocoee 86

6. Innovation 72

Championship round (local matches only):

106 – Ajani Flanders (Boone) pinned Douglas (Sebastian River), 4:58

113 – Elijah Persaud (Boone) dec. Gill (Sebastian River), 11-5

120 – E. Guerrero (Sebastian River) pinned Dae’Miere Spencer (East River), 1:30

126 – Norris Mayo (East River) won by forfeit over Isaiah Rivera (East River)

132 – Jonathan Riveros (Boone) dec. Nazzio Huyler (Ocoee), 13-6

138 – N. Guerrero (Sebastian River) pinned Anthony Johnson (Freedom), 0:51

144 – Wheeler (Sebastian River) pinned Joaquin Losey (East River), 1:04

150 – Boecker (Sebastian River) pinned Zaden Fleming (East River), 2:33

165 – Weatherly (Sebastian River) tech fall over Clauderle Petit (Ocoee), 4:00 (18-0)

175 – Hix (Sebastian River) pinned Adarius Quezada (Ocoee), 5:09

190 – Kramer (Sebastian River) pinned Joshua Calederon (Freedom), 0:57

215 – Jariel Ramos (Innovation) dec. Luzader (Sebastian River), 6-3

285 – Tyler Duvermont (Ocoee) dec. Braxton Drinkwater (East River), 7-2

Girls Wrestling

KNOCKOUT CHRISTMAS CLASSIC

At Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee

Team standings after Day 1 (top 3 & locals):

1. South Dade 106

2. Flagler Palm Coast 91.5

3. Osceola 77

6. Freedom 67.5

17. Harmony 34

30. Winter Springs 13

36. Ocoee 10

51. Orange City University 4

Quarterfinal results (local matches only):

100 – Booe (Palm Harbor University) dec. Aniyah Whayne (Osceola), 2-0

115 – Grace Lashinsky (DeLand) pinned Metzger (Crestview), 3:13

115 – Espinosa (South Dade) pinned Jocelyn Quiroz (Winter Springs), 2:32

120 – Paola Ramirez (Osceola) pinned Ledesma (Hillscrest), 1:40

125 – Kyla Rodriguez (Osceola) pinned Rice (Charlotte), 1:40

135 – Holmes-Smi (Enterprise (Ala.) pinned Genesis Fuentes (Osceola), 3:38

145 – Fries (Flagler Palm Coast) pinned Elody Rodriguez (Freedom), 5:34

170 – Wilson (Lincoln Park Academy) pinned Lily Tucker (Osceola), 3:20

190 – Gomez (Hillcrest) pinned Chloe Riley (Freedom), 3:31

235 – Mekialla Mauvais (Freedom) pinned Johnson (Bell Creek), 2:32

235 – Rotchiva Clermont (Freedom) pinned Barrett (South Dade), 0:53

Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/20/fhsaa-high-school-scores-statistics-december-20-city-palms-montverde-oak-ridge-december-20/

TAMPA — Florida closed out a turnaround season with a solid but unspectacular showing.

A 33-8 win against Tulane during the Gasparilla Bowl was still something to celebrate for coach Billy Napier. After all, the victory capped a four-game winning streak after two seasons that ended on skids of three and five games, respectively.

Yet Friday’s performance at Raymond James Stadium didn’t quite provide a surge of momentum entering a critical offseason for the Gators (8-5) or quell questions about Napier’s need to hire an offensive coordinator.

Quarterback DJ Lagway, the player many fans came to see, finished 22 of 35 for 305 yards for  his first 300-yard performance against an FBS opponent and took home MVP honors.

The true freshman also threw two first-half interceptions to cost Florida points and highlight his struggles against zone coverage. Both miscues were thrown into the middle field with the intended target in triple coverage.

“We were sloppy early,” Napier said. “We were just a little rusty on offense.”

Lagway’s 7-yard touchdown to tight end Tony Livingston with 4:03 left in the third quarter was the Gators’ first touchdown, giving them a 16-0 lead following the first three of a bowl-record four field goals by Trey Smack.

“They didn’t make it easy, especially the first half,” Napier said.

Following the touchdown by Livingston, a sophomore from Tampa, Florida’s defensive intensity increased  to another level as Tulane managed just 194 yards.

The Green Wave (9-5) ended a once-promising debut season under Jon Sumrall on a three-game losing streak but avoided their first shutout loss since 2016 against Temple when Ty Thompson found Mario Williams for a 16-yard touchdown with 29 seconds to go.

Without starting quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke three days after an AAC-title-game loss to Army, the Green Wave were 10-point underdogs with a backup quarterback who hadn’t started a game during four seasons.

Sumrall’s sense of urgency was evident from the opening snap.

Tulane looked to catch the Gators off guard with a flea-flicker on its first play.

Thompson, an Oregon transfer after the 2023 season and in the transfer portal again, fluttered a pass into the waiting hands of UF’s Trikweze Bridges. 

“We sent a message to the team we weren’t going to play timid,” Sumrall said. “I don’t think we did. I just think we wore down.”

Thompson’s day didn’t get much better. He finished 11 of 29 for 125 yards with 3 interceptions, the second by Gators walk-on linebacker Alfonzo Allen Jr. on a pass broken up by sophomore cornerback Dijon Johnson of Tampa.

“Playing at a high level down in and down out is hard when you haven’t done it,” Sumrall said.

Tulane’s season-ending fall was precipitous.

The Green Wave sat No. 17 in the College Football Playoff rankings prior to the season-ending skid. Meanwhile, the Gators were 4-5 after a 49-17 drubbing Nov. 9 at Texas.

Behind Lagway, a suffocating defense and a strong kicking game, Florida closed with its longest winning streak during Napier’s three seasons.

The strong-armed 6-foot-3, 239-pound Lagway gives the Gators a headstart entering the offseason. The 19-year-old also showed that much work remains.

Lagway’s two first-half interceptions matched his season-high during spot duty against Texas A&M.

The second pick was on 3rd-and-goal from the Tulane 4 with Florida leading 6-0 and 3:29 remaining in a first half that ended as the lowest-scoring in the bowl game’s 16-year history.

The Green Wave’s first interception gave them the ball at UF’s 23. Forced to settle for a 35-yard field-goal attempt, Tulane’s placekicking woes continued as freshman walk-on Patrick Durkin’s effort was wide left.

A Durkin miss and botched snap on another attempt contributed to Tulane’s 35-14 loss Dec. 6 at Army.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/20/florida-gators-football-gasparilla-bowl-tulane-green-wave-billy-napier-jon-sumrall-dj-lagway/

In a modern era of the NBA that’s viewed by some national pundits and former players as soft compared to the past, Magic guard Jalen Suggs is as tough as they come.

A former high school football player and second-team All-Defensive NBA selection a season ago, Suggs brings physicality and aggression on that end of the floor nightly.

But he’s still human.

So when coach Jamahl Mosley saw that Suggs didn’t immediately pop up after going down while grabbing his left ankle on the Kia Center court late in the first half against the Thunder on Thursday night, there was some concern for the fourth-year pro.

“When he went down the first time, I was extremely nervous and worried,” Mosley said of the moment that occurred with 1:38 left in the second quarter. “I wasn’t going to call the timeout but usually he bounces back up. And then I called the timeout.”

Suggs was able to slowly get to the bench on his own power before the Thunder closed out a 36-18 second quarter en route to a 105-99 win over the Magic.

The Magic guard played four minutes of the third quarter before he exited again for good.

That’s because Mosley recognized something was off with Suggs.

“As he comes out in the second [half] I just saw, there wasn’t a high pace,” the Magic coach said. “I mean, there were moments of it but I just want to make sure he’s going to be OK for the long haul.

“There’s too many things going on with this team when it comes to the injury bug that we want to make sure we’re smart when it comes down to that,” he added.

It’s hard to blame him.

Orlando — already without stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who are continuing to recover from the same injury (torn right abdominal muscle) — played majority of the second half without its third best player on the court.

In addition, veteran guard Gary Harris missed his 10th straight contest with a left hamstring strain Thursday.

Beede’s Breakdown: Magic compete hard but lose another starter in loss to Thunder

Second-year guard Anthony Black filled in for Suggs as the Magic battled hard against Oklahoma City, cutting a 23-point deficit to single digits in the third quarter before the Thunder handed the Magic their third straight loss.

Fortunately for Suggs, The Athletic observed him departing Kia Center without a walking boot on his ankle after he rolled it in the first half.

Suggs (right ankle sprain) was listed as probable for Saturday’s game against Miami on Orlando’s initial injury report. Harris is considered questionable.

“He’s a tough kid,” Mosley said. “He wants to be out there and that’s what you see in him. We said it before the game — his passion, his energy, his intensity to want to be on the floor with his guys.”

After beating the Magic, the Thunder traveled south to face the Heat on Friday. Less than 24 hours later, Orlando (17-12) will host Miami at Kia Center on Saturday.

It’s first of two games against between the in-state squads in a span of five days. The Magic will also host the Heat on Thursday after defending champion Boston comes to town Monday.

The Magic defeated the Heat on opening night in Miami, but Banchero and Wagner both were healthy. Since then, Orlando has gone 15-10 without Banchero and 1-3 without the star duo available.

Magic gift shopping spree

Banchero joined Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and members of the Osceola Magic at a holiday shopping spree for 100 children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida at a local Walmart on Friday.

Each kid received $300 gift cards courtesy of Banchero, Caldwell-Pope and Pepsi. The pair of Magic teammates and the soft drink manufacturer each donated $10,000 in gift cards that allowed them to buy whatever they wanted ahead of Christmas, as well as the first night of Hanukkah, on Wednesday.

Children who attended the shopping spree were from three local branches of the Boys & Girls Clubs — the Walt Disney World Clubhouse, Levy-Hughes Clubhouse and Bradley-Otis Clubhouse.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

Up next …

Magic vs. Heat

When: 7, Saturday, Kia Center

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/20/orlando-magic-jalen-suggs-injury-update-okc-thunder-miami-heat-paolo-banchero-kentavious-caldwell-pope-nba-kia-center-jamahl-mosley/

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/20/pictures-gators-take-on-tulane-at-gasparilla-bowl-in-tampa/

UCF coach Scott Frost continues to add some familiar faces to his new coaching staff, bringing in Mike Dawson as the Knights’ new defensive run game coordinator and edge coach.

Dawson previously worked with Frost as part of his coaching staff in 2016-17.

“I’m incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Frost’s staff,” Dawson said in a statement. “Having previously worked with him at Nebraska and UCF, I’ve seen firsthand the passion, leadership, and commitment he brings to the game, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Scott.

“I’m looking forward to contributing to the success of this program, working with an outstanding group of coaches, and helping our players grow both on and off the field.”

He spent this past two seasons as a senior defensive analyst at Kansas (2024) and Ohio State (2023) and previously worked at Nebraska with Frost in 2018, 2020-22. Dawson briefly left Lincoln to serve as outside linebackers coach for the New York Giants in 2019.

He previously served as defensive line coach with the Cornhuskers in 2018 and coached outside linebackers in 2020 and 2021 before shifting to defensive line/edge rushers in 2022.

While at UCF, Dawson served as defensive line coach, helping the Knights finish in the top 20 in total sacks (38) and tackles for loss (103). He was also responsible for developing key linemen like Trysten Hill and Jamiyus Pittman.

He joins a defensive staff that includes defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin, new offensive coordinator Steve Cooper, receivers coach Sean Beckton Sr., and quarterbacks coach McKenzie Milton.

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/20/ucf-knights-big-12-scott-frost-mike-dawson/

Hurricanes tight end Riley Williams is looking for a new program after two years with the team, according to multiple reports.

Williams is at least the eighth UM player known to be transferring this offseason.

Williams, a four-star prospect coming out of Bradenton powerhouse IMG Academy, was one of the top tight ends in the 2023 class. But he did not put up prolific numbers with the Hurricanes.

In two seasons, Williams played 21 games but did not make a start. He had 15 catches for 187 yards and one touchdown. In 2024, Williams had seven catches for 115 yards.

Williams played the third-most snaps among Miami’s tight ends, trailing starter Elijah Arroyo and Cam McCormick. With Arroyo’s health improving this season, Williams’ snaps decreased from 299 in 2023 to 184 in 2024.

With Williams’ departure and Arroyo and McCormick eligible for the NFL draft, the Hurricanes are slated to return two scholarship tight ends: Jackson Carver, who will be entering his third season, and Elija Lofton, who will be entering his second season.

Miami signed two tight ends in its 2025 class, Luka Gilbert and Brock Schott. Both are four-star prospects.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/12/20/hurricanes-riley-williams-portal/